When the ink hits the check and a little bit of money flows out of my account into the hands of a charity, do I bother to think about where it goes? Do I know the name of anyone I helped when I wrote that check?

I wonder sometimes if the gifts I give aren’t really gifts at all.

Is the five minutes I spend in the store enough to really find something someone wants? How many times have I bought a present for someone because I liked it, without giving much regard to what that person needs or wants? Do I expect a thanks or appreciation for my gifts?

I wonder sometimes if I’m missing the point.

Isn’t the point of Christmas to not think of myself? Are other people worth the time to pick out a gift that shows that they matter? Are they worth more than a gift?

Whatever the answers, it’s worth trying to remove the “I” from generos_ty and see what happens.

Today’s gift of time … Mailed a card to a friend in rehab.

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About Eric Winger

Our perception of time is key to how we use our time. The most fundamental way to change that perception is to give our time. This opens us up to new opportunities and ideas from which we can build to really make a difference. ... Yes, we *do* have time to make a difference!

One Response to Generos_ty

Thank you for another perceptive observation. Jen and I were thinking the same the last few days as we looked at the “gifts” given this year. As been oft repeated over the last several years, many family members do the annual “money exchange” in which the exact same amount of money is given as received which zeroes out in the end both in monetary and time expenditure–let alone thought involved. The oft repeated excuses of “it’s easier this way” and/or “you can get whatever you want” doesn’t make it for the fact that the real reason is the lack of importance in taking a moment to really think about “why.”

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